Prescription For Love
by Pellegrina
Summary: OBS: 2nd chapter added! Spoilers for ep. 6.16 plus x. Their friends have finally had enough: Jane is depressed and Lisbon is dating another man - what the hell is going on?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a one-shot taking place some time later in season 6. It's AU - or so I hope. And the characters will act OOC - or so I hope... one never knows with all the strange spoilers these days... Anyway, don't shoot me for Lisbon's behavior. I don't think, she'd ever act that way (at least, I dearly hope so!), but this is an experiment dealing with some of the spoilers we've been given. This is a very angsty piece, but bear with me - it will have a happy end (a mature one - so be warned).**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist. I'm only playing around with your characters a bit, Mr. Heller. What else is there to do for a poor mentalista when faced with an endless hiatus and nothing but discouraging spoilers to pass the time?**

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**Prescription For Love**

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"And? What did he say?" Grace asked her husband impatiently from her seat on the couch of their living room where she was playing with their daughter Maddie. She had called out to him the moment she figured, he'd hung up the phone in the other room.

"You know him, darling. Not much," Wayne Risgby replied, entering the room.

Van Pelt sighed and shot the tall man a disgruntled look. "He must have told you something."

"Yeah, well, he did," Wayne said, trying to appease his wife. "Cho said, nothing has happened yet, well nothing of what we'd hoped for." He took a seat beside his wife and reached for his daughter, who smiled up at him.

"Nothing?" Grace inquired, brow furrowed. "He's been back for what? More than six months? And they've been working together again for over three. That's just ridiculous!"

"Well, according to Cho, Lisbon is kind of keeping him at arm's lengths at the moment. Apparently she wants to find her feet with the Feds without him getting in the way," her husband explained, while tickling the giggling toddler now on his lap. "So she has kind of avoided working with him mostly."

"That sounds ominous. I mean, I understand that she wants to prove her own worth and such, but the boss has never had a problem making people see what a great cop she is. But together those two are the most incredible team ever. Unbeatable. I've never seen two people work more in sync than those two. I'd expected that after all this time and with McAllister out of the way…" she trailed off and released another deep sigh. "God, Wayne! This can't be true. We both saw how much she missed him every time we met with her back in Washington. And now this?"

Rigsby shrugged. "Cho said that they must have had some sort of confrontation. At least that's what he figures because Jane's actually giving her space and he's making a real effort to be a good partner to her. But she doesn't seem to see it. She's happy bonding with the other agents and she's even kind of seeing someone. Another agent called Pike."

"What?!" the redheaded woman exclaimed, scaring little Maddie who started to whimper. Van Pelt softened her voice and ruffled her daughter's hair in a calming way. "She's seeing someone else? Now? After all these years of being in love with him and now that they finally actually might have a chance she's seeing some other guy? You've got to be kidding me!"

"That's what Cho told me. He's actually a bit miffed at the boss's behavior, well, in a Cho-ish sort of way. And he's exasperated at Jane's behavior too."

Grace cast him an askance look. "His behavior? Oh shit! Let me guess: he's making tons of trouble for that Pike guy, right?"

Wayne shook his head. "On the contrary. He isn't doing anything of that sort. He's just sitting around like a beaten puppy, looking all broken and sad, but isn't doing anything to interfere." The tall man bopped his legs, bouncing their little girl in the way she loved.

"That's not the Jane I know. What the hell has happened between them? I mean, it's obvious he's at least as much in love with her as she's with him. He risked life in prison in order to get her the job she deserves and be with her again. If that isn't love, what is?"

"Never thought about it this way," Wayne replied in awe. "Wow! I think, you're right, sweetheart. I mean, last time I spoke with him he didn't sound like he was too happy being back with law enforcement. You really think he accepted this job just for her sake?"

She looked at him a bit like you would a dumb child. "Of course, Wayne. That's the only reason he came back. Why else would he exchange that South American dream island with Texan LE and the risk of being imprisoned? I'm pretty sure he's been in love with her for years, probably longer than she's loved him. All that was keeping him back was his fear that Red John might destroy his happiness again were he to ever find out about his love for another woman. And that promise Jane made to kill his family's murderer."

Rigsby looked astonished. "I always thought he was a selfish bastard but that's actually one of the most selfless things I've ever heard of. Wow!" He paused a moment but went on with a thoughtful expression. "You know, that could mean that he's not making a fuzz about that guy she's going out with because he just wants her to be happy."

Grace smiled at her husband. "You might have a point there, honey." Her face turned sad. "But it means he must be totally miserable. I mean, imagine yourself in his position. He got her a job she loves and gives her the space she asked for and she's using it all to do – well, actually I have no idea what the hell she is doing! But no matter what it is, she's breaking his heart." A sigh escaped her as she leaned back. "Do you think she's doing it to, like pay him back for some of the stuff he pulled back at the CBI?" she mused.

"I can't imagine her doing that. That's not like the Lisbon I know. But on the other hand this dating some other guy doesn't sound like her either…" he pondered.

"When I talked with Jane on the phone two weeks ago he sounded pretty down. I didn't think it was something serious. He was just a bit off. But he asked lots of questions about Maddie and you know how it is… I just got distracted talking about our little angel and forgot about him being a bit odd." She took the child back into her arms and cuddled with her, a big smile taking over her face that had been tinged in sadness just a moment earlier.

"Cho says that he looks lost. He's doing great at work, solving cases at an impressive speed even by his standards, but other than that there's not much life in him these days. Cho sounded a bit worried about it. Like Jane was not taking very good care of himself. He has hardly any clothes and he's wearing the same pair of socks every single day. Cho thinks, it's because Lisbon gave them to him." Rigsby couldn't quite help but look disgusted at the thought of their friend using the same pair of socks all the time. "Hope, he washes them," he added.

"So, he's only working, has no social life, doesn't care for his appearance and looks sad and subdued all the time," Van Pelt summed up the information they'd gathered so far. "He has hardly even caused any of his normal trouble lately. Lisbon has told him off at some point and he has taken something she said so much to heart that he just takes her rebuff without a fight. Argh, that doesn't sound good, Wayne. We need to do something."

He eyed his wife warily. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to interfere. We might do more harm than good."

She huffed. "That's so typical of you. Always trying to take the coward's way out at first."

"Hey!" he complained. "That's not true and you know it. I'm not a coward."

"Then prove it. You know that you can thank Jane for us being here together and happy, don't you? Or have you forgotten that he was the one who forced us to confront our issues at that radio show? I never doubted for a second afterwards that he planned it exactly that way. He knew, all we needed was a chance to clear the air. It's such a typical Jane-ish way of being our friend."

Wayne looked astonished. "Oh…"

She took in her husband with exasperation. "You can really be kind of clueless sometimes, Wayne. Did this really never occur to you? And he even helped us getting married, darling. If not for him and that wedding murder case in Napa and him having me convince the bride to take a chance after all, we wouldn't be in this position today. The least we owe him is to try and help him find some happiness too, don't you think? He's had a pretty tough time ever since his wife and daughter were killed. He's in dire need of some true happiness. And so is Teresa."

"I'm still not sure it's such a good idea to get involved. No – ," he held up his hand to stop his wife from butting in," – it's not because I'm a coward. It's just, you know, Jane and the boss, they're both such private people. They might not want anyone to meddle in their affairs."

"Pah," Grace replied. "If not their friends, who's supposed to give them a reality check? And if they get angry – so what? Their happiness is worth it. If you can take care of Maddie for a while I'll give Teresa a call and try to get a few more facts. And then we'll scheme, Mr. Rigsby."

Finally acquiescing to his wife's ideas, Wayne sent her a small smile and held out his arms to receive their daughter. "Okay, Mrs. Rigsby. I won't be able to change your mind anyway, do I?"

"Nope," the stubborn redhead answered. "Not on this one." She kissed her daughter in the cheek before she passed her over to her daddy.

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About an hour later Van Pelt found her husband in their home office, their daughter was sound asleep in the cot nearby. Wayne looked up from the computer with a curious expression. "So, what did she say?"

Grace looked utterly disgusted. "I've been made to listen for 40 minutes to her going on about how great this Pike guy is," she said. "And all I could think was that he sounds like a total douche! He's following her around like a puppy in awe and she seems completely enamored by his open admiration of every breath she takes. Argh! I never thought she'd ever fall for that kind of meaningless crap!"

The redhead shuddered. "I mean, seriously? She's above empty admiration or so I had thought. But obviously not. She's been like 'and then I told Marcus about how I managed to put on my boots this morning and he was like – aw, Teresa, that's so amazing, you're so skilled – and then I told him, I know this small coffee shop just around the corner from my place and they have the best coffee ever and Marcus was like – aw, Teresa, you're so amazing, you found the best coffee in town…' and so on and so forth. You get the picture. It was dreadful, Wayne!"

Van Pelt couldn't repress another shudder. "She went on and on about how that guy is admiring her every move. As if she needed such empty drivel to know her own worth! Never expected her to be so shallow. And when I asked her about Jane she brushed me off with some meaningless remark, like he's doing fine and being his usual annoying self when we both know that's not true. And she actually had to stop and think before answering. As if she'd not taken notice of him at all, which she probably hasn't. This is bad, Wayne. I have no idea what made her change that way, but I don't like it."

Wayne got up from his chair and came around the table to pull his distraught wife into a hug. "So what do you think we should do, honey?" he asked, giving her lips an affectionate peck.

Grace looked up at him with a sad expression. "I have no idea. I never expected her to ever be like this."

"You know, it reminds me a bit of something Jane once said," Wayne replied with a deeply concentrated look. "I think it was during that bank robbery case, you know? The one when Jane almost got in the crossfire because he had his shoes repaired in the shop just next door to the bank?"

Van Pelt nodded. "Yeah, do I ever remember. Jane tricked me into buying him lunch for a week, that scoundrel!" She couldn't stop a fond smile to appear on her face remembering dealing with their odd friend and his schemes on a daily basis. She couldn't believe she'd been so gullible at times even after years of knowing him. "So, what about that case has anything to do with our current situation?"

"You remember that it turned out it was that woman who shot her own boyfriend?" Wayne asked, trying to get them at the same level of knowledge. She just nodded, a bit impatient, gesturing for him to go on. "Well, Jane explained it afterwards. How that dude had been all fat and unattractive, lazy and such when they'd gotten together and then he'd started to change and had planned to leave her. That she couldn't live with the changes because she was a power dater. That's what Jane called it. A person dating someone kind of below them to have all the power in the relationship. That's what I thought of when you described the boss and that Marcus guy."

"Wow, Wayne, that's very astute! You might be on to something. Lisbon has always had certain issues with men. I mean, let's be honest. She's never had a serious relationship in all the years I've known her. She's been on dates and such but it never got serious. I always believed it was because she was secretly waiting for Jane to be ready. But maybe it's more? Maybe she's afraid of committing and this Pike douche could never be a real threat to her because he's so hopelessly enamored with her and she has all the power in the relationship. That sounds quite logical." She pulled her husband down into a deep kiss. "Sorry, I called you a coward and clueless earlier, sweetie," she added with an apologetic look afterwards.

"I can be somewhat slow at time," Rigsby conceded. "I know that, Grace. But I have my moments."

"That you do, honey." She smiled warmly. "So, if you're right and I'm sure you are, it means that she might be afraid exactly because now it's the first time things could actually get serious with Jane. Before she could admire and love him from afar – there was no chance of anything happening between them anyway. But now he came back for her and she, maybe only subconsciously, realized that this is for real now. And instead of confronting the issue she pushed Jane away and started going out with that dork who's totally harmless because she's in complete control of him and the relationship."

"That sounds about right," Wayne agreed. "Only thing that's puzzling is that Jane is letting her get away with it."

Grace nodded. "Yes, it is. Maybe he's afraid of losing her permanently if he pushes her too far? She can be kind of skittish when it comes to emotional stuff." She paused to gather her thoughts. "I think, I'll give Jane a call as well. Try to find out more about his state of mind. What do you think?"

Wane chuckled. "I'd say, good luck with that, darling. Finding out about how Jane truly is sounds like a real challenge."

"I have to try," his wife replied, her brow set in a stubborn way. "You alright looking after Maddie for a while longer?"

"You don't have to ask that. You know I love spending time with our little sunshine," Wayne answered.

Grace left to make her second call.

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The Rigsbys reconvened another hour later. Wayne could see immediately that his wife wasn't bearing promising news. Grace joined her husband and child at the kitchen table. Maddie sat in her high chair chewing on a sandwich. "So, what's the verdict?" Wayne asked gingerly.

Grace took a slice of bread and started to butter it with a sad sigh. "He's depressed, Wayne. Really down. He didn't even try to cover it. That makes it even worse."

"Oh dear. Sounds really bad. Did you find out what went wrong and when?"

"First of all he confirmed that he doesn't particularly enjoy being with the FBI. He finds it too sterile, gray and uniform. And he isn't too keen on spending his days catching criminals. He really only came back for Lisbon and the only time I could hear some spark in his voice was when he told me that Lisbon seems totally happy with her new position. She's thriving. She's earned the respect of her fellow agents and she enjoys working those really big and important cases again." Grace put a slice of cheese on her bread and took a bite. After swallowing she continued, "When I asked him directly why he would accept a job he doesn't like, he just said that he owed this to Lisbon. He owed her his life and this was the least he could do. And he actually apologized to me for costing us our jobs at the CBI, Wayne. Jane apologized and he was totally serious!" She shook her head.

"Wow!" Rigsby replied. "And that's actually something I'd never blame him for. I mean, it was all those corrupted folks like Bertram who brought the Bureau down, not Jane. And I'm not mad at him for it, not at all. I wouldn't have wanted to stay ignorant of it all and work with a bunch of assholes. I still shudder at the thought of how many times we unknowingly entrusted our backs to people ready and willing to sell out each other in a heartbeat. Jane did us all a favor. And besides, we were all part of the operation. It's not like we didn't help."

"That's what I said. But he insisted that he was sorry that he'd destroyed our career chances. I told him that we're very happy and this new line of work suits us just fine, but he didn't seem convinced. He was really meek, Wayne. And when I asked about Lisbon he told me that he'd rather not tell me anything about her because she might not like him talking about her." Grace took another bite and chewed with a far-away look. Rigsby left her to her thoughts, knowing that she wasn't finished talking yet. After a while she went on just as he'd expected her to, "I asked him what he meant with that. I mean, it sounds completely off. They're friends after all and I'm their friend too. So what would be wrong about exchanging harmless information? And he replied that she doesn't consider him a part of her life anymore and had made it clear to him that if he didn't keep out of her life, he'd lose her forever. God, Wayne! I think he was fighting tears when he told me." Her eyes had turned wet as well, picturing their friend so broken and sad.

She wiped away a stray tear and continued, "And then I said, but Jane, you came back to be with her. She must know that. And he replied that he'd just screwed up everything, that he wasn't any good to her anyway, a messed up guy like him. That he obviously couldn't give her what she deserved. But that he was fine with it because Lisbon is happy and that's all that counts." Grace took a big mouthful of the coffee her husband had prepared for her. A bit annoyed she added, "He sounded like a fricking martyr, Wayne, and it doesn't suit him at all. It's ridiculous. Nothing of his usual self-confidence, no spark, not even sarcasm. Only heartbroken sadness," she huffed. "It was really depressing just talking with him. It's like he's filled with nothing but shame, guilt, and loneliness. Geez!" She took an almost angry bite. After swallowing she went on with her rant, "I can't believe I'm saying this but I want that cocky bastard back. I want my Jane back, not this shadow of man."

Wayne looked thoughtful. Suddenly he smiled. "I think, I have an idea…"

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"Agent Lisbon, Jane – my office," supervising agent Abbott said in his commanding voice from his office door.

Lisbon jumped up from her chair and cast an annoyed look at Jane, who slowly and reluctantly got up from his lying position on his couch with a pained expression. "Damn it, Jane! Can't you just do as you're told for once and get your sorry ass up from your ugly couch? You're so lazy, it's a wonder you haven't started to adhere to that thing." Her tone held no humor.

A sad look crossed Jane's face, but it was too short for an inattentive and irritated Lisbon to see. He tried to smooth over the hurt he felt at her harsh words. "Maybe it has already happened and that's why I have such a hard time getting up," he offered with a fake grin but he didn't get the smile he'd hoped for in return, just another glare.

Lisbon turned on her heels and started to walk resolutely and confidently in the direction of Abbott's office, Jane followed after her, dragging his feet.

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"Ah, thanks for joining me," Abbott greeted them.

"Sorry, sir. I tried to get him to hurry up but you know how he is. He just enjoys annoying everybody around him too much," Lisbon replied, casting Jane another reproachful look.

Abbott took them in with a critical expression. "I didn't complain about any tardiness, agent Lisbon. Didn't expect you to jump up and come running. Is everything alright with you? I mean to be honest, Jane has actually been pretty cooperative lately. Unexpectedly so."

"No, sir. Everything is fine," Lisbon hastened to answer. Jane just stood beside her – leaving at least a foot of space between them to avoid irritating her even further – and nodded his head diligently.

"Well then," Abbott replied skeptically. "I've asked you to come here because I've gotten a call from our field office in San Francisco. Apparently you're needed there for some follow-up work from one of your old CBI cases. Due to some inconsistencies in the prosecution caused by the involvement of the Blake Association the perpetrator has been granted a retrial and is insisting to be interrogated by you two. They won't speak to anyone else. I don't know any details. You'll get further information in situ. I suggest you go home and pack now, you've been booked on a flight first thing in the morning. That's all."

"With all due respect, sir, but is that really necessary? I had plans for my day off tomorrow and…" Lisbon asked but was interrupted by Abbott gesturing for her to stop talking.

"Agent Lisbon, I wouldn't have asked you to go there if it wasn't important. I'm sure your plans can be postponed for a bit. You've been an agent long enough to know that the job often interferes with our plans. This is the FBI, not Cannon River," he reprimanded her.

Lisbon's face fell and she blushed. "Of course, sir. I'm sorry. I love my job here. It's no problem. I just… I had been looking forward to my time off…"

Abbott dismissed them with a nod.

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"Great, just great," Lisbon huffed, when they were out of hearing range. "Now I have to spend my weekend roving around with you," she sneered, "instead of going to the firearms exhibition in town with Marcus. He is very impressed with my shooting. We went to the range yesterday. Said, he's never seen a female agent with better aim." She smiled in self-satisfaction just to remember that her plans had been canceled. "Perfect. Just perfect. You better be on your best behavior, Jane, or I'll shoot you," she muttered.

And for the first time in all the years of their acquaintance Jane actually believed her. He nodded and went to his couch to get his jacket before leaving.

"What? No witty reply from the smartass for once?" Lisbon asked, her voice filled with sarcasm.

"I might be a nuisance but I'm not suicidal," he answered carefully, grabbed his jacket and walked out of the bullpen in a hurry. He left behind a Lisbon in open-mouthed shock. Cho, who'd witnessed the whole scene, cast her a disapproving look but didn't utter a word.

It was a somewhat contemplative looking Lisbon who left the FBI building a few minutes later. She had no idea why Cho would react that way but in the end she shrugged it off as unimportant.

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"This better work," Cho spoke into his phone. "It's gotten to a point where I'm ready to throttle Lisbon. Never thought I'd ever say that."

"It will, Cho. I have a really good feeling about this. Thanks for your help. We couldn't have pulled it off without you convincing your colleagues in San Francisco to play along," Grace replied.

"Don't thank me yet," the Asian agent said.

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Early the next morning Jane and Lisbon met at their gate to catch their flight to San Francisco. Jane wished her a good morning and handed her a paper cup of coffee he'd gotten for her.

She accepted it without a word of thanks, took a sip and said, "Passable." Then she looked him over and wrinkled her nose. "You could at least have made a tiny effort to look somewhat presentable. Did you sleep in that suit? You're such a mess, Jane. I don't understand what's so hard about wearing shirts that have been ironed. Marcus always manages to look respectable. I bet you just do this because you enjoy making me ashamed of being seen with you," she griped.

Jane didn't reply. He took a seat on one of the benches in the waiting area and sipped on the tea he'd bought for himself.

"What? Cat got your tongue, Jane? Well, if you wanted to annoy me, you've succeeded. Congratulations," she hissed. "God, how I wished I could be at that exhibition right now."

Jane was saved from answering by their flight being announced ready for boarding. He got up and threw his empty cup into the next trash can. Wordlessly he went to get in line with the other passengers while Lisbon decided to skip the waiting by flashing her FBI badge.

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The rest of their trip went by without them talking because they were seated in different rows. Jane released a sigh of relief when he realized that. But the fact that he felt eased about it made him even sadder than he'd already been. He just didn't know why every single thing he did seemed to irritate and annoy his longtime partner these days. He really tried to accommodate her but she made it damn hard. He knew it was all his fault somehow, but since he didn't know how he couldn't make it better. He was completely stumped for once. She refused to speak with him about anything not work related and he'd given up asking because it only made her angrier.

The main problem was that she was actually making it personal all the time while banning him from resolving their issues on a personal level. He had no idea how to get out of this vicious circle and after weeks of this treatment he was just resigned to the fact that the closest he'd ever get to her was wearing the beautiful, warm, soft socks she'd given him when things had still looked salvageable between them. He did so every day because it was the only warmth and comfort he had left in his life.

But Lisbon was happy – well most of the time and as long as he wasn't around – and that was all that counted. He'd caused her so much trouble in the past and she'd stood by him in his darkest hours, he could never repay her goodness and generosity anyway. But he would try his damn best. It still hurt to see her gallivant around with that Pike guy. It hurt like hell. He was barely able to endure it and some days just getting up in the morning was an ordeal. Why should he bother just to see her smile at that hapless idiot who showered her with superficial compliments which would have made her run away shuddering and screaming two years ago? He hardly recognized her anymore but as long as she seemed to be happy he was resolved to deal with it as graciously as he could. But she made it damn hard…

Most days she didn't pay any attention to him, made sure she wouldn't be partnered with him and didn't even greet him in the morning. Those were the good days. It was worse on days like yesterday and today when she seemed to take offense at his mere existence. It didn't help that she was now forced into company with him and had little choice but to endure being around him. He could only hope that whatever they were sent to do in San Fran could be dealt with in a day. Maybe if they were really lucky they'd be able to catch the 9 o'clock flight out tonight. With the added two hours they would have because of the time difference they might just make it…

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A black limousine that was practically shouting law enforcement waited for them at the airport in San Francisco. They were brought to the FBI offices in the center of the city and immediately led into a conference room that looked actually somewhat comfy. There was a lounge area in the middle of it with a large two seater and two armchairs arranged around a coffee table. The only thing reminding them that this was indeed some kind of official interrogation room was the huge one-way mirror on one of the walls.

They were asked to take a seat. Jane waited for Lisbon to make her choice first so she couldn't accuse him of making her sit at the place she least wanted. He had of course known which seat she'd choose the moment they'd entered – the armchair with the clearest view of both the door and the rest of the room – and wouldn't have dared to take that one anyway, but he decided to play it safe. When she'd sat down he went over to the couch accompanied by one of the disapproving stares from her he'd gotten used to during the past months.

After ten minutes of uncomfortable silence the door opened and a man entered, one both Lisbon and Jane recognized at once. "Dr. Hennings?" Lisbon exclaimed in astonishment. "Is this about your wife's trial?"

The once famous so called Love Doctor stepped closer with a soft smile and took a seat in the last empty armchair while the noise of a key being turned in a lock could be heard. "No, agent Lisbon. This isn't about my ex-wife. She is and will remain safely in prison where she belongs."

Jane had realized this was a set-up meant for him and Lisbon the moment Hennings had appeared in the doorway but Lisbon just gaped at the man with total bewilderment. "But you weren't accused of anything, doctor." She blushed in rememberance of the case he'd been involved in and cleared her throat. "I mean, liking female feet isn't a crime," she said a bit helplessly, the embarrassment obvious on her face.

"You mean my fetish, agent Lisbon. No reason to sugarcoat things, my dear. Let's be open and honest with each other here," the older man calmly replied with a friendly smile and an encouraging expression.

"I don't understand…" Lisbon said looking puzzled.

The Love Doctor cast a warm look at her. "You know, just because my career took a bump doesn't mean I'm not still good at what I do. Just in a private setting now, not on air anymore. So you can be open and safe here. I'm sure we can figure out what's going on in no time."

"Oh, I'd certainly like to find out what's going on," Lisbon replied angrily. "I bet this was your stupid idea, Jane! You brought me here to play one of your idiotic games with me just to spoil my weekend." She jumped up from her chair, cast a glare at Jane that could only be called menacing, and went to the door. "I'm out of here. I'll not be part of whatever impudent, childish, manipulative crap you're pulling this time."

She found the door locked and resisting all her attempts at opening it. She pounded on it, shouting for someone to open it but got no reaction.

"Teresa," the friendly voice of Buddy Hennings interrupted her cursing. "Please calm down, dear. Come, sit down with us and let's talk about what makes you so angry."

"I'm done talking with that bastard. He's exhausting and annoying," Lisbon complained. "I'm done dancing to his tune. So whatever he's told you are probably lies anyway. This ends here. This is the last straw, Jane. I want you out of my life for good."

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"This isn't off to a promising start," Wayne said to his wife, who was watching things unfolding on the other side of the one-way mirror together with him. "I'm glad she hasn't her gun or there would probably be a dead body in there by now."

Grace sighed heavily. "It's too early to give up but this is really worse than I thought. Look at Jane. He's just taking all her insults looking like a beaten puppy. What the hell?"

Just when she'd finished her complaint about Jane's passivity a jolt seemed to be going through the blond man's whole body.

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"And I'm done accepting your abuse," Jane said in a calm, authoritative voice. "I have nothing to do with this. I had no idea about it and I'm just as surprised. But I for one want this," he motioned between him and Lisbon, "whatever it is, resolved once and for all. I can't go on like this. Why don't we use the chance we're obviously given to clear the air?"

"I have nothing to say to you," Lisbon replied. "And I don't believe you. Who else would do such a ridiculous thing?"

"I don't know? Maybe someone who cares for us?" Jane answered in a tight tone.

She snorted. "As if anyone cared for the likes of you."

That took the last spark of fight out of Jane and he seemed to slump down completely. Lisbon seemed to recoil from her own words and a shadow of guilt flitted over her face. That's when doctor Hennings butted in. "What an utterly hurtful thing to say, Teresa," he stated. "Why do you feel the need to hurt Patrick like that?"

"I don't know," Lisbon replied silently, shame showing clearly on her face. Jane however couldn't see it, his head and shoulders hanging in utter defeat. "He hurt me first," she added, sounding like a whiny child even to her own ears.

"Are you saying that Patrick has been hurting you on purpose as well? Tell us more about it," Buddy encouraged her.

Lisbon went over to the armchair she'd occupied earlier and retook her seat. "I…" She sighed. "Maybe not on purpose, not really, I guess," she said with some hesitation. She played with a strand of her hair in a nervous gesture.

"How has he hurt you?" Hennings inquired.

"He ran away from me. Several times," she said. "I hate being left and he knows that," she added with a bit more strength. "All my life, people have left me and I had to deal with their shit."

"Do you know why Patrick did that to you?" the doctor asked.

Lisbon pulled a face. "Mostly to catch the killer of his wife and daughter. And then after he'd killed him he ran from the consequences. And just after finally coming back he ran away again just to pull one of his stupid schemes."

"So you resent him for avenging his family's murder?" the Love Doctor asked carefully.

"What? No!" Lisbon said indignantly. "There wasn't any choice in the end. McAllister had to die. Too much had happened and the situation was chaotic. We couldn't trust anyone in law enforcement and we certainly couldn't risk a serial killer to get away again. Just think of all the other innocent people he might have killed if he hadn't been stopped. No, I don't resent him for it."

"But if I understand you right, your words imply that Patrick had to run afterwards. If what you say is true then he probably wouldn't have been treated fairly by the authorities either. From what I learned in the news and papers the whole system had been undermined to such a degree it had to be dismantled almost down to the lowest levels."

Lisbon mumbled, "I know. Didn't make it hurt less."

"So he left without informing you and you were left completely in the dark. Is that right?"

"No, not really. I mean, he left me a message on my mailbox. And somehow he managed to make me receive letters from him. That's how the FBI finally located him," she explained.

Hennings looked at her in surprise. "He risked being found just to keep in contact?" Lisbon nodded. "Didn't you appreciate hearing from him?"

"Oh yes, I did. But it also made me miss him even more," she admitted silently, her face showing the memory of lonely nights on her couch with nothing but his words to keep her company. The ache in her heart had almost felt physical at times.

"Do you think he missed you too?" the doctor asked with caution.

Lisbon nodded. "His letters left no doubt about that."

"Where you able to answer them? Did he receive anything from you during his exile?"

"No. I couldn't. I had no way of knowing where he was. And I couldn't risk finding out. I knew I was being watched. And besides, if I'd known I'd have been forced to either break the law and cover for him or give his location away. I couldn't do neither. It hurt like hell though," she admitted.

**)P(F)L(**

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**)P(F)L(**

Jane had been listening attentively to every word, not daring to make his presence known, too afraid that if Lisbon was reminded of him being there she'd stop talking immediately. But now the good doctor suddenly addressed him. "So, Patrick, how was it for you to write those letters with no hope to ever receive a reply? Did you miss Teresa?"

Lisbon, who'd really forgotten for a moment that Jane was actually present, winced, regretting her honesty for a second until she took in the beloved face of her friend and partner. She'd never seen him so sad. She could see that his eyes were red and tear tracks marred his cheeks.

"I missed her every single minute of every single day," Jane pressed out. He twiddled nervously with his wedding band. Buddy cast him a look asking him to elaborate. "I tried to pretend sometimes," Jane admitted, "pretended that she was there with me, enjoying a walk on the beach with me, delighting in the nature around us. Sometimes I almost made myself believe she actually was there. I would suddenly imagine I'd heard her beautiful laughter. Or I'd see her smiling face in a crowd. Almost like a mirage because each time I got closer she was already gone." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Writing to her was my only real joy. I felt like she was still a part of my life that way. That I could be close to her, share my days with her. It wasn't enough but it had to do." He swallowed heavily, fighting for his composure.

"And now you're back," Hennings stated.

"Yes, I am."

"Then why did you run away again?" Lisbon accused him. "Why? How can I trust you not to do it again?"

He looked at her with a pained expression. "I've tried to tell you before: I didn't run away again. I had to fix a few things in order to give us a chance to be back together again for good, Lisbon. I had no intention of running away. It's ridiculous to…"

"Ridiculous?!" she interrupted him angrily. "How dare you call my fears ridiculous?"

"And why don't you let me finish for once?" he retorted. "Of course I'm not trying to make light of your fears. It just never crossed my mind that you could even for a second believe that I was running away from you. For heaven's sake, Teresa, I had just risked my freedom just to be with you. I even endured three months in complete isolation just for the chance to be close to you again. Why the hell would I run away just after finally getting you back?"

"How was I supposed to know that, Jane? For all I knew you came back to play some stupid game with Abbott. Or because of whatever happened between you and Fischer in Venezuela," Lisbon replied angrily.

"I made you my number one term, the most…"

She interrupted him again. "Without even asking me. You just assumed I'd be at the ready to play your sidekick whenever you decided to return."

"No. It wasn't like that at all. I've never thought of you as my sidekick. We used to be partners. That's what I wished for. And I simply didn't have the opportunity to talk things through with you. When would I have done that? We'd barely seen each other a minute before Abbott came in and things went south." Jane jumped to his feet and started to pace.

"And I came up with my first term because I wanted to give you the chance to get into the position you deserve. I know I destroyed your career. I wanted to make it up to you. I knew you'd love working big cases again. When Abbott approached me on the island I saw the chance to make it happen. I admit that I also entertained the selfish hope to be your partner again. But that wasn't the main reason." He tore his hair in obvious despair. "I know, I screwed it all up. It's all my fault. I know, I'm a self-righteous, impertinent asshole. It was totally presumptuous of me but you've got to believe me that I didn't do it to manipulate you or take away your life."

He cast her a beseeching look. "Really, Lisbon. I only meant well. I know that doesn't negate the facts, but please, can you at least believe me when I say that I'm sorry and that I never meant you any harm? I promise I'll stay away from you from now on, just like you want me to. I'll even ask Abbott to assign me to a different district office if you want that. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Teresa."

**)P(F)L(**

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**)P(F)L(**

Hennings decided to interfere again when he took in the shell-shocked stance of Lisbon and the desolation in Jane. "Patrick, please take a seat again, will you?" he asked the distraught man carefully.

Jane went back to the couch and sat down with his head hanging, fiddling with his wedding band again. "Patrick, may I ask you a personal question?" Buddy asked cautiously.

"Ask away, doc," Jane mumbled, never looking up.

"I understand that your wife was killed over a decade ago. Why are you still wearing your wedding band? Are you still mourning her?"

Jane shook his head. "No. I mean, I still miss her, miss them, of course. But I've made my peace with that part of my past." He paused but as he didn't raise his head he missed the look of astonishment that crossed Lisbon's face. A moment later he continued, "No, these days it's more a reminder of everything I've screwed up in my life. It's reminding me that I had a chance at happiness but I screwed it up – twice now." He sighed. "I guess I'm just not meant to be happy. I sabotage myself, probably because I know I don't deserve it anyway," he added so silently both Hennings and Lisbon had to strain themselves to make out his words.

"Why do you think you don't deserve it?" the doctor inquired.

Jane released a cold chuckle. "I'm not a good man. It's as simple as that. I'm selfish and greedy. Arrogant. Just ask Lisbon here. She'll be able to list all my many faults to you. I'm a difficult person to be around. I have no illusions about myself, Buddy. I'm a conman, a great liar, but I'm honest with myself. Have to be. It's the first rule of the trade."

"It sounds more like you're being especially hard on yourself, Patrick," Hennings replied.

"Yeah, well. Someone has to be," Jane answered with fake nonchalance.

"From what I've heard here today you already get enough of that from others. May I ask you another question?"

"Just go ahead."

"What exactly made you come back to the States?" Buddy inquired.

"Lisbon," Jane replied without the slightest hesitation.

"Yes, I got that but could you be a bit more specific?"

Jane sighed. "Alright. Well, I was feeling especially morose, very lonely. It was the day that marked eleven years since the first time I set foot into the CBI and met Lisbon. Not even writing to her helped alleviating the pain that day. On my daily round I ended at Alfredo's where I usually took my breakfast. And there was that woman at the next table reading an English book. I realized she was from the US and it only added to my sense of loneliness. I managed to engage her in a conversation and it was so nice to be able to speak English with someone for a change. For a moment I didn't feel so alone anymore. We talked some more, we took a walk along the beach, I followed her back into town because I'd been informed by a friend that someone from the FBI was staying at the only hotel on the island obviously looking for me and I wanted to meet them on my own terms. When we parted ways the woman, who'd introduced herself as Kim, asked me out for dinner. I was shocked at first. I'm not used to being asked out. But in the end I said yes. It had felt so good to have a chance to really talk with someone after such a long time. I looked forward to a few more hours of it."

He paused, cleared his throat and continued, "My first meeting with Abbott was a total farce. He practically offered me five years of servitude completely at his mercy in exchange for the promise of a pardon afterwards if I'd behaved like a good little slave. I turned him down immediately." He chuckled without humor. "Then I went back to my place to get ready for the evening."

He paused, obviously having to think hard about something. With a nod he finally went on, "I spent a lot of time that afternoon facing some hard truths. I decided to make one last attempt to maybe move on for good. Try to settle down on that island. Finally knowing clearly what would be waiting for me back home – even in the best case scenario Abbott had offered – brought home once and for all that I would never see Lisbon again. I had to accept that. Until that day I'd lived in denial, I realized that. I hadn't made any attempt to learn Spanish properly. I just went through the motions. The people around me accepted me but I hadn't made any effort to become a real part of the community."

He stopped again and took a deep breath, preparing himself to reveal something important. "My wedding band. It had become a way of hanging on to the past, to the States, to Lisbon," he admitted silently. "I know it sounds crazy, but it had stopped representing my late wife or rather it had become so much more. That night I took it off for the first time since Angela had placed it there twenty years ago." He swallowed heavily, taking in the gasp of shock he'd expected from Lisbon.

"I had to try," he whispered. A bit louder he continued, "Later that night I went out with Kim. We ate, talked, I drank too much. I was giddy. Too many emotions swirling around in my head. I just wanted it all to go away for a while. We went to a fiesta after dinner and danced. On our way home we ran into the thugs of the local drug lord. I tried to play the hero. Yeah, I know. Doesn't sound like me, guess it was the alcohol." He chuckled without humor. "Suffice it to say, I was beaten up by them for my effort. Kim watched the whole thing without making the slightest attempt to come to my aid. She just stood by." He snorted. " Of course I hadn't realized she was actually a trained FBI agent at the time. Well, at least she had the decency to help me back to my place. Next thing I remember was waking up the next morning to the smell of a cup of tea she'd prepared for me. For some reason she'd stayed the night. I have no idea why."

**)P(F)L(**

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He stopped his tale again and took a big gulp from one of the bottles of water that had been placed on the coffee table before they'd entered the room. "Sorry, if it's a bit of a long story to answer a simple question," he apologized gingerly. "But I'm getting there. It was after Kim had left – she'd told me she had to fly back home later that day. After she'd left my place I saw my ring lying on my bedside table and I put it on immediately. It was the moment I realized that I couldn't move on, not without Lisbon. I wasn't ready to spend the rest of my life on the lam, hoping for some random US tourist to find their way to the island once in a while to offer me the chance to speak my mother tongue. I couldn't go on like that. And then I went to Alfredo's and started to really think."

He left out the painful details about Hugo, his canine friend, who'd also been lost to him that day, and about Fischer and her final act of manipulation. After clearing his throat he spoke up once again. "I figured that if the FBI had used all those resources to locate me in a country with no extradition treaty the sorry excuse of an offer Abbott had shown me the day before couldn't be their last word. They obviously really wanted me to work for them, and though I really never wanted to work in law enforcement again I saw the possibilities this entailed." For a moment the usual spark of mischief could be seen in his eyes and Lisbon, who was listening with rapt attention, realized how much she'd missed it not only during their enforced separation but also during the last weeks.

"So I sat down and came up with some terms of my own," Jane continued. "First of all I wanted to make things up to Lisbon. I had no idea what had become of her, but I figured that the jobs she really deserved might be out of her reach because of me. So if I demanded to only work with her the FBI had to offer her a job if they wanted to have me. And besides, I desperately wanted to see her again. So I put her first on my list. Then I asked for all charges against me to be dropped. That were the only two real terms I had. The rest was just meant to get a rise out of Abbott to be honest." He couldn't help but grin.

"When he accepted all my terms I felt like I could embrace the whole world," he admitted, his face glowing with remembered happiness. "I promised to come back with them if Lisbon would be there when I arrived. And when Abbott agreed I felt nothing but pure bliss. I was walking on cloud nine the whole trip back. Of course I wasn't completely naïve. I knew, there was a chance the FBI would try to play dirty but I figured that in the end I'd succeed because they obviously really wanted me to work for them. I admit that I probably wasn't cautious enough because my happiness overrode my rational thought process. But I was positive I'd get what I wanted at some point." With sadness taking over his handsome features again he added quietly, "Which I did. But the price I had to pay for it was losing the very thing I'd come back for."

His head was hanging again and Lisbon realized that he hadn't dared to look at her even once during the whole time he'd related the events that had led to him coming back.

"What was it exactly you came back for?" Hennings inquired gently. "What was worth risking your freedom and accepting a line of work you don't even enjoy, Patrick?"

Jane was rocking back and forth, the fingers of his right hand nervously playing with his wedding band again. "To be with the woman I love, to make… to see her happy," he finally confessed, the tremble in his voice revealing how much this cost him.

A small, but infinitely sad smile crept up on his lips. "And she is happy, at least she is when I'm not around. I love to see how she thrives at the job, how happy she is there. And how all the people there have come to appreciate her the way she deserves. How they value her. She's beautiful, you know. On the inside and outside. Amazing. She is a natural leader, and even though she's not in a leading position at the moment people can't help but listen whenever she talks because she's great at what she does. That office space we have, it's gray and sterile and boring, but when she enters it's as if it's suddenly full of life. And the other agents there, I mean, at first people seemed to distrust each other all the time, afraid of making mistakes and being reprimanded. But now that Lisbon is there, she's already managed to make people feel more at ease. Be proactive, work as a real team. I love watching her weave her magic. She's exactly where she's meant to be. Well, actually she should be in a higher position but I'm 100% sure she'll get there in no time. I'm just sad I won't be there to see it happen."

He stopped, looking embarrassed at his passionate speech, finding his feet incredibly interesting. He was so lost in himself that the usually observant man didn't see the tears running down Lisbon's cheeks, the expressions of utter wonder and pain alternating on her face.

**)P(F)L(**

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The experienced doctor who'd watched them carefully the whole time also made out another emotion on her face: fear. He decided to find out more about it. From all he'd learned so far he had no doubt at all that those two were hopelessly and madly in love with each other. But apart from Teresa's obvious abandonment issues there seemed to be another problem keeping her from being with Patrick.

"Teresa? I understand that you have a boyfriend?" he inquired. "May I ask what you love most about him?"

Lisbon looked at Hennings as if she'd seen a ghost. She hadn't thought of Marcus even for a second since they'd started this – whatever it was. Now the reality of her life suddenly caught up with her. The ugly truth of what she'd put the man through who was currently sitting across from her in utter despair after confessing his love to her in an even more touching, heartfelt, and beautiful way than she'd ever dreamed of. The man who was ready to sacrifice even the last smidgen of happiness she'd left him with – namely being in the outer zone of her presence at work – for the sole benefit of her comfort. She felt such a deep sense of shame at that moment, it nearly made her sick.

Hennings handed her a bottle of water and she greedily drank from it. It made her calm down a bit, enough to realize she hadn't answered the question Buddy had asked her. After all the honesty from Jane she resolved herself to answer in kind. He deserved as much if not more from her. "It's not about love with Marcus. He's just… He's safe," she admitted.

"Safe how?" the Love Doctor inquired.

"He's sweet and all. A decent guy, but he's… He's like a puppy dog. Harmless. He's perfectly willing to accept whatever I decide to give him. I'm… I feel in control with him. He doesn't challenge me. I know it's never gonna get serious with him. That makes me feel safe," she confessed.

"So basically you're with that man because you know you can never get hurt in that relationship? Is that it? You're not invested emotionally and thus you don't have to risk any of your heart?" Hennings dug deeper.

Lisbon blushed a deep red. It didn't feel good to be called out on it. She knew he'd located her weakest point. Her deepest fear and shame. She knew but hardly ever admitted to herself that she had issues with commitment. When Jane had come back and she'd seen the utter elation on his face at seeing her, all her internal alarms had went off. If she was really honest with herself that – more than him running away in New-York – had led to their estrangement. When she'd seen the utter happiness on his face when she'd told him she'd accepted the job offer and had presented him with that ridiculous pair of socks he'd been wearing diligently ever since, deep down her subconscious had known exactly what his response was telling her. This was a man in love with her, ready to commit to her completely once and for all. She hadn't allowed this to become conscious knowledge but after his open words earlier she couldn't deny the truth of the matter anymore. In reality she'd been the one running.

She'd shoved Jane away, finding one reason after the other why she was entitled to be mad at him. She'd focused on every little flaw of his – real and imagined ones – in order to justify to herself why she was treating him like shit. And she'd even accepted Pike's overtures though in all honesty his constant empty flattery had started to annoy her almost immediately. But it had been safe. With the level of open adoration she'd received from him she'd known at once that she'd be the one to call all the shots in that relationship.

Jane wasn't safe. He was anything but safe. But he was also the man she loved. Deeply. The man who made her heart beat faster. The one who challenged her, made her happy. Encouraged her to see the world in different shades, made her question herself. Made her happy to get up every morning to see what he (and life in general) would have in store for her that day. He knew her like no one else did. He was there for her when she needed him the most. Not always in the most convenient way, but in the best way. He was what had been missing from her life. The two years without him had been hell. Yes, she'd built a life in Washington and she had been content to a certain degree, but she hadn't been happy. The spark, the fun, the joy had been missing from her life.

Maybe it was finally time to stop being a coward and embrace the chance she'd been given when Jane came back. She didn't want to think of herself in terms of gutlessness. Had she really been willing to settle for a life surrounded by dull usualness when she could have brilliancy and extraordinariness? Had she been ready to bury her heart completely in order to avoid it being hurt in any way? Yes, she had and it would end right here, right now.

**)P(F)L(**

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Wayne and Grace released two deep sighs – each – at that point. There had been several moments when they'd felt like gawkers intruding on the most intimate and open conversations their long time friends at ever shared. But they'd been unable to leave their positions. They'd practically been glued to the mirror. Both had shed tears. Wayne covertly, Grace openly. Both had been deeply touched by Jane's declaration. They'd held each other afterwards. Now they expected the final chapter to unfold in front of them. And they both hoped with all their might that it would contain a happy end.

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Lisbon got up from her chair and went around the table to sit down beside Jane on the two-seater. He lifted his head when he felt the couch dipping with her weight. He looked at her with wide, pained eyes for a moment, lowered his head again and resumed the nervous fiddling with his fingers. She resolutely took hold of the hand closest to her and kept it between her own, her thumb caressing the back of his hand. "Jane. No. Patrick," she started hesitantly. "I don't want you out of my life." She nearly choked on her words because she was overwhelmed with emotion.

One of her hands went up to his face and cupped his tear stained cheek tenderly. "Please look at me, Patrick," she whispered.

Their eyes met.

"I love you," she said tenderly. "So, so much."

And suddenly she couldn't get close enough to him. She pulled him into a kiss which he returned eagerly after he'd recovered from his moment of complete shock. She wanted to devour him, he tasted so good. Like home and heaven. She buried her hands in his curls and massaged his scalp gently. He moaned in obvious pleasure. In a matter of seconds she had somehow ended up sitting on his lap, exchanging heated, open mouthed, hungry kisses with him. Both had tears of joy and relief running down their cheeks, both didn't care about it one wit.

When they both felt the unavoidable need to breathe, they stared at each other in wonder. There it was again, she thought. That look of utter bliss and love on his face. The one that had scared her so much she'd done her best to erase it forever. Now she couldn't get enough of it. She'd never found him more gorgeous. He put every supernova to shame with that smile. And it was all for her. She was the sole reason he looked like every beautiful sunrise she'd ever watched put together and multiplied by a million.

He pulled her to his chest and kept her in an almost painful embrace, sobbing with uncontrolled relief, chanting "Love you, love you," in her ear in sheer elation, and she rejoiced in the feeling of having him so close, having his beloved scent all around her. God, how she loved that man and how she'd missed him! Missed being close to him. How had she ever thought she'd be able to live without this, without him?

Their lips connected again. She could feel it in every cell of her body. She felt alive like never before. He was everywhere and she couldn't get enough. It was overwhelming but for once that didn't scare her. She wanted more, wanted it all, wanted this to never stop. No kiss had ever done this to her. She wanted to give, to receive, to become one. The urge was almost too much to bear.

They'd become completely lost in each other, their surroundings had disappeared. She desperately tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel more of him, wanting the barriers between them to vanish once and for all.

**)P(F)L(**

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The thud of the door closing made it through their haze however and they were both startled out of their frenzy. He cast her a sheepish smile. "Lets get out of here, Teresa. I'm not going to make love with you in an FBI interrogation room with whomever watching from next door."

She blushed. "God, for a second there, I wouldn't even have cared," she confessed and he chuckled.

"Me neither," he admitted.

Lisbon entwined their hands, got up and pulled him after her in a hurry to leave. He came more than willingly.

**)P(F)L(**

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"I know a nice little hotel nearby," Lisbon said when they'd made it out onto the street. "Hope, it's still open. It used to be really comfy."

"Ah, the perks of having a former SFPD street cop with you," Jane replied with a happy sigh.

A few minutes later they'd reached their destination. The owner, a big, very resolute looking lady in her sixties, still remembered Lisbon from a case more than fifteen years ago when a thief had targeted her hotel and they were welcomed with open arms and given the best room available. With the life experience of a concierge of several decades Mrs. Rossini seemed to sense the urgency of the situation right away. With a wink she motioned Jane closer and whispered conspiratively in his ear, "You better hurry, young man. Our Teresa doesn't look like she has much patience left," and with a chuckle she handed the key to him.

Jane took it with a blissful smile on his face and couldn't help but peck the older woman's cheek exuberantly. "Woah," the concierge exclaimed in surprise. "You sure are happy, Handsome, aren't you?"

"Yep," he replied and pulled an astonished Lisbon down the corridor in the direction of room number 69, accompanied by the bellowing laughter of Mrs. Rossini.

**)P(F)L(**

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The moment they were inside the room their lips connected in another toe curling kiss. After some minutes of devouring each others' mouths their movements suddenly seemed to grow frantic. Lisbon fumbled with the buttons on Jane's shirt and the normally so dexterous Jane didn't do much better with her blouse. But finally they were both naked from the waist up and paused a moment to admire each other.

Jane touched one of her breasts reverently. "You're so beautiful, Teresa," he said in awe. She moaned and both her nipples hardened before his eyes. He stepped closer and caressed her all over. With his head bent his lips kissed a path from her neck down ending at her breasts where he started to suck on one of her nipples, increasing the strength when her groans of arousal told him just how much she enjoyed this.

She buried one of her hands in his curls, loving the texture of them. She'd always wanted to do that and she knew this would never get old. With her other hand she drew a line done his spine which made him shudder and moan. She would remember that for future reference.

He subjected her other breast to the same treatment. "Oh, yes," she sighed, another wave of arousal making her juices flow. She'd always had a bit of a problem not being wet enough down there which had led to some of her encounters being somewhat painful in the past. Somehow she didn't expect this to ever be an issue with Jane. She felt herself dripping for the first time in her life and couldn't wait to feel him fill her.

"Bed," she demanded hoarsely. He obviously got her message because she was suddenly lifted off her feet, carried over to the king size bed and lowered on it gently before she could even think of protesting this treatment. He was all over her, nipping and kissing her torso until she pulled him into her arms and into another hungry kiss. "I want you," she whispered against his lips.

"Oh god," he groaned in answer. His hand went down between their bodies and he opened the button and zip of her pants. His fingers sneaked inside her panties and she thought, she'd explode immediately. And at the merest touch to her bud she really fell apart with a little cry. He watched her reaction in awe. "I've never seen anything so beautiful," he uttered in pure admiration.

He gave her a moment to come down from her high before he attacked her mouth with his lips again while simultaneously helping her out of her pants and underwear until she lay completely naked underneath him. Coming to her senses a bit she complained, "Jane, you're wearing too many clothes."

He released his hold of her and straightened up in order to remove his suit pants but she sat up on the bed and stopped him. "No, let me." She opened his belt, noticing that he must've lost quite a bit of weight lately because it hadn't been fixed in the place the wear and tear on the leather showed must've been the usual spot before. A spark of guilt filled her when she contemplated that this had probably been caused by her. She pressed a silent kiss of apology to his stomach and continued with her task. She would make it up to him with time.

She pushed his pants down over his hips and encountered black satin boxer shorts underneath. His erection was proudly straining against its last confinement. She touched it through the fabric and followed its outline, eliciting a deep moan from her partner. "God, you're pretty huge, Jane," she said, half-way in anticipation, half-way in fear. His manhood wasn't exactly monstrous but it looked well over average and especially thick and she hadn't been with a man that well-endowed before.

He looked down at her and asked cautiously, "Would you… could you, maybe, could you please call me Patrick, Teresa?"

She kissed his stomach again and smiled. "It'll take some getting used to. You've always been my Jane, but I'll try. Or did you refer to not-so-little Patrick here?" she teased, giving his cock a gentle squeeze.

Encouraged by her positive reaction he replied cheerfully, "Oh no. Him you better address as Maximus or he'll feel down for hours."

She giggled. He couldn't help but join in and a moment later they were laughing together until they both had tears streaming down their faces. It was a very cathartic experience. It had been years since either of them had shared such a carefree moment with anyone and they felt closer than ever before.

Their mouths found each other again and their merriment turned into renewed arousal in no time. She felt wet and ready for him and longed to be joined with him in that ultimate way. "Take me, Patrick, make me yours," she demanded, surprised at her own boldness.

He groaned. "That's an order I don't mind to follow, my love." His shorts disappeared and with it the last barrier between them. She was spread out on her back in the middle of the bed. He crawled up to her, laying down by her side. To make sure that she was really ready for him his hand wandered down to her vagina. He found her good and wet but couldn't resist playing around a bit with his fingers. She moaned beautifully when he entered her with his pointer finger. It increased when he waggled it inside her and grew almost frantic when he teased her clit with his thumb as well.

"Stop teasing, Jane," she panted and he decided it would be better to get down to business if he didn't want to evoke her wrath.

Under her lustful scrutiny he gave his cock a few firm strokes to make himself good and hard for her, though the angry red color of its head showed clearly that he was more than ready already.

He climbed over her and with one strong push he entered her core. They both cried out at the sensation. Though she'd been ready for him he still stretched her to her limit and she was glad he seemed to be as observant in bed as he was the rest of the time and gave her a moment to adjust. They engaged in a battle of their tongues while she got used to being filled by his beautiful cock. Slowly he started to move, distracting her from any discomfort she might feel with his magic mouth doing incredible things to her earlobe which she had never known was such a sensitive spot for her.

When he was finally sheathed inside of her as deeply as possible their eyes connected. "Thank you for letting me come home to you," he whispered reverently.

Her hand went up and caressed his cheek. "Thank you for making me your home," she answered huskily.

"I love you, Teresa," he said, pecking her nose.

"I love you too, Patrick," she replied.

**)P(F)L(**

* * *

**)P(F)L(**

Their joining was slow at first but soon their arousal grew and with it the urgency of their movements. "Oh god, yes, harder, faster, deeper," she cried. "God, this is so good. Never felt so good."

All he managed were some hoarse "ahs" and "ohs" – he was too busy complying with her demands to the best of his abilities. The bed creaked under the onslaught of their passion, the headboard bumping into the wall behind it with every single one of Jane's forceful strokes. They didn't acknowledge it, too absorbed in each other and their pleasure.

When he felt his orgasm approach his hand went down between their bodies to help her along with her own release, stimulating her clit. It didn't take much before she panted "I'm gonna come, oh god, I'm gonna come." He let go of the last of his control and hammered into her with total abandonment and in the exact moment he knew he couldn't hold himself back anymore he felt her walls clench around him. The cum spurting into her when he climaxed enhanced her ecstasy just as her release increased his excitement. They both shouted each others' names and for a while afterwards they knew only blissful nothingness.

**)P(F)L(**

* * *

**)P(F)L(**

He was the first one to recover. Reluctantly he pulled out of her. It felt like losing a part of himself. She seemed to feel the same because she protested the loss of their connection immediately. "Sorry, but I don't want to crush you with my weight," he whispered tenderly, caressing her with feather light touches. She'd never been more precious to him, lying before him, relaxed, sated, and so utterly beautiful without any worries or fears marring her perfect features. One day he'd kiss every single one of her freckles he decided but at the moment he felt too exhausted to do much of anything.

He forced himself to get up and to the bathroom where he found a washcloths he wetted with hot water. He took a towel with him as well. When he returned to Teresa's side she was slightly more alert but looked to be on the verge of sleep. Carefully he cleaned away the seed that was slowly dripping out of her core. The gentle touch of his affectionate gesture aroused her a little even though she felt more sated than she'd ever felt before in her life. But she'd never been cared for like that after sex and it moved her deeply how loving and caring he was with her. It made her love him even more.

When he'd cleaned and tried her he got into bed again, pulled the comforter up to cover them and snuggled into her. They kissed and cuddled for a while until sleep took over the both of them, legs and arms, hands and bodies completely tangled and entwined. At long last they were finally where they were supposed to be – together.

**TBC  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I was in need of a bit of Jisbon fluff and that's why I decided to add another chapter. It's not only fluff, but mostly. Essentially it's just some scenes from the rest of their weekend in San Francisco. And it contains some M-rated stuff - so be warned.**

* * *

**Jisbon - My Prescription Drug**

Her eyes still blurry even fifteen minutes after being woken by a crying Maddie, Grace Van Pelt had to look around the living room of the nice home she shared with her husband Wayne to find the source of the irritating buzzing noise that had started about ten seconds ago. Still not quite awake it took her a moment to realize it was her cell phone. She saw it lying on the coffee table, went over there, holding her daughter in her arms who was now happily sucking away on her baby bottle of milk. She sat down on the sofa and took the phone, cursing whomever dared to call that early in the morning. "Yes?" she answered it with irritation obvious in her tone.

"Ah, hello grasshopper. So nice to find you in such a lovely mood this fine morning!" the chipper voice of one Patrick Jane greeted her.

"Why are **you** so alert, Jane? It's only a quarter past six in the morning and on a Sunday," she grumbled.

She heard a chuckle at the other end of the line. "Well, I kind of had an early night and besides, it's past eight for us folks from Texas."

"Yeah whatever, Jane. But what do you want?" Grace asked, still a bit miffed but more awake now.

His voice had grown sincere and very soft when he answered. "I wanted to say thank you," he said. "I presume, it was your idea?"

A small smile appeared on the redhead's face and suddenly she felt neither tired nor irritated anymore. "Well, I decided to intervene, but it was actually Wayne who came up with the plan," she explained proudly. "So, did it really work? Are you, like… Did you? I mean, have you? Are you two alright?"

Jane couldn't help but chuckle again at her obvious inability and discomfort at voicing her real question. Some things would probably never really change, like Van Pelt being a bit awkward around him and like her apparently having a hard time imagining 'mummy' and 'daddy' doing the dirty deed. "Do you want the juicy details, Grace?" he asked teasingly, not able to resist the opportunity to needle her a bit more.

She groaned. "Show some mercy, Jane! Remember who is responsible for there even being any details. And besides, why the hell are you up talking with me and not in bed, well, creating some new details?"

"Lisbon is still sleeping like a baby. Guess, I wore her out," he provided cheerily, which earned him another groan from Grace. "Anyway, I woke up and figured that you'd probably be up at this hour, a young mother such as yourself. And I felt a sudden urge to express my profound gratitude. I am really, truly thankful for your help. You have no idea what this means to me. I…" he trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"I think I do, Jane. And you're very welcome. We were just returning a favor really. And we never really thanked you for your help. We wouldn't be here together with our little angel if not for your interference. I'm just glad to hear you sounding happy for a change."

Jane chuckled again. "Guess, I was a little gloomy when last we talked," he admitted.

"A little gloomy? That's one way of putting it. I got depressed just from listening to you. You sounded like a beaten puppy," Van Pelt told him honestly.

"Okay, well, I was a little down. Maybe a tiny bit more than a little," Jane replied with another chuckle. "But I'm back in good spirits now. Splendid even. If you were here right now, I'd probably hug the hell outta you."

Van Pelt's smile grew wide. She was so happy to hear Jane talking like that. It also meant that Teresa was truly happy at long last. "How long are you gonna stay in San Francisco, Jane? It would be really nice to get together or something while you're here," she inquired, "maybe get that hug you just talked about."

"That would be great, Grace. I want to see how big Maddie's now and I want to thank you and Wayne in person. I talked to Abbott before I called you and asked him for a day off for Lisbon and myself tomorrow – which I sincerely hope she won't kill me for because I didn't discuss it with her beforehand." He sighed and sounded a bit unsure when he went on, "This is pretty close to meddling in her affairs, but I wanted to clear things with the FBI first thing and she was sleeping so peacefully. I think, we could really use a bit of time for ourselves. And besides, I'd like to take a short trip to Sacramento at some point this weekend." He swallowed a bit heavily. "I haven't had the chance to visit their graves yet, you know, after McAllister. Not that they're really there or anything but I would like to, well, to tell them, for want of a better word."

"I'm sure she'll understand, Jane," Grace replied gently, trying to encourage him.

"Yes, she does," the redhead suddenly heard the voice of her former boss announcing from the background. What Van Pelt couldn't see were the two arms that had sneaked around Jane's bare torso when Lisbon had enveloped her partner in a hug from behind. Or how the hands attached to said arms caressed Patrick's stomach and the mouth that had just uttered those words was now busy nibbling on the ear that was pressed to the cell phone. What she heard, however, was a rather distinct moan coming from the man holding said phone.

"Maybe we should talk later," Grace hurriedly said. "We could get together for dinner later today or something."

Van Pelt heard some rustling and another moan and then she was obviously talking with Lisbon because her voice came directly out of the phone now, "Yes, Grace. We'll talk later. We definitely need to get together. I'll call you. But right now Patrick here has a rather big problem I need to deal with." Teresa giggled in a way the younger woman had never heard from her before but wouldn't mind encountering again because it sounded so overwhelmingly happy. The rest she decided she didn't want to know more about so she hung up the phone with a short "Bye."

* * *

What had Jane moaning was his lover's hand which had sneaked lower and was stroking his growing erection through his boxers – the only piece of clothing he was currently wearing. Trying to gather his thoughts he managed to press out, "And you really aren't mad, Teresa?"

Lisbon snickered. "Oh, you'd know if I was, honey. This is not the treatment you'll get when I'm mad at you, just so we're clear on that. I'd hate there to be a misunderstanding on that account and you turning even more insufferable just to make me touch you like this." She pressed her lips to his neck and nuzzled it afterwards. He shuddered with pleasure. Never breaking the contact she then started to maneuver them both backwards in the direction of the bed. "I'm pretty hungry, never got any dinner last night and you're gonna be part of my breakfast, Jane. Before you'll invite me to a second one in a nice diner," she whispered in his ear in a seductive tone.

"Oh yes," he moaned in response, his heart beating faster not only because of her actions but also and even more, if he was honest, due to the endearment she'd used. And the teasing, how he'd missed their banter! And her hands did wonderful things too, as did her lips.

By the time they'd reached the bed Jane was putty in her hands. She loved how responsive he was and what she could do to the normally so controlled man. He was obviously ready to let down most of his walls around her now that they were together like this and she felt happy and honored.

She pushed him down on the bed and took in the sight of him for a moment. Last afternoon she'd been too busy being devoured by Patrick to really take a good look at him. She very much liked what she saw. He had the strong arms of a swimmer and his whole build was consistent with that. He wasn't overly muscular but he was in pretty good shape. His legs were especially nice she decided, just like his butt which she couldn't see right now but had admired before. He had the most delicious backside she'd ever seen on a man, his buttocks round like ripe apples. And she'd truly fallen in love with his penis last night. It wasn't only thick and filled (and fulfilled) her perfectly, he obviously knew how to put it to perfect use too. Now she wanted to find out how he really tasted – something she hadn't accomplished during their heated first encounter the day before and neither during acts number two and three during the night.

He'd worshipped just about every nook and cranny on her body already and had brought her to heights of arousal she'd never known she could reach last night. She presumed it was due to two factors: he was just as perceptive in bed as in any other context and read and memorized her reactions carefully to drive her crazy with it afterwards and the second reason she suspected was the very fact that she'd never been so much in love with any of her partners. Thus every one of his touches reached her on a physical and an emotional level and the combination had really blown her mind – more times than she could truthfully recall.

Her eyes roamed over the beautiful man in front of her once more. "And do I pass inspection?" Jane asked huskily.

She smiled. "Naked you certainly do, Patrick. In clothes it's a totally different matter however. I mean, how long have you worn the same pair of socks now?"

"I'll have you know that they are very nice socks, comfy and warm, and I got them from a very dear friend," the blond man replied with a wink.

Lisbon snorted. "Not that this isn't touching and all, but you really need some new clothes. Maybe we can do some shopping after breakfast."

"Does that mean that you're gonna give me another pair of socks, Teresa?" Jane asked with a ridiculously hopeful expression.

She sat down beside him on the bed and tickled one of his long, elegant feet playfully, delighting in the snicker he was obviously unable to hold off. "If that's what it takes, honey," she conceded and got an eager nod in reply.

Still smiling at the antics of her lover she started to caress his feet, slowly working her way up first one leg then repeating the process with the other, observing meticulously how his arousal grew more and more with every touch. Even before she'd reached the first thigh, Patrick had been moaning. By the time she'd kissed and fondled her way up both legs he was begging – though his garbled words made it impossible for her to discern what exactly for. It made her grin smugly.

Her hands took hold of the waistband of his shorts and he had at least enough presence of mind to raise his hips so she could slide his boxers down his legs and remove them. He was rock hard.

She bent her head and took a tentative lick. Not bad at all, she decided and had the absurd notion that he actually tasted a bit like tea.

He groaned and she took it as her signal to go down on him for real. She grabbed the base of his dick (and had to realize again that her hand was exactly big enough to envelop it) and held him up for better access. He cried out when her mouth took in about half of his length. She sucked and saw his hands clinging to the sheets. Satisfied with the result of her efforts so far she started to work him with her hand and her mouth, eliciting needy moans from him that made her hot and turned her on so much she felt herself getting wet.

In typical Jane manner he noticed this even in the heavy state of arousal he was in. With the husky bedroom voice of his which she'd already come to love, he asked quietly, "This is room number 69. Shouldn't we honor that?"

Though she'd wanted this to be about him the offer was too tempting to resist. Shedding her panties she climbed on top of him. He helped her place herself in a way that made it possible for him to reach her core with his mouth and her to resume her previous actions at the same time.

Lisbon soon found it impossible to concentrate on his pleasure with him using his magic mouth on her. He really had a talent for this. She'd already found that out last night. She was a quivering mess in a matter of seconds and the moment he entered her with two of his thick, gorgeous fingers, she came apart, unable to continue playing lollipop with him. He greedily lapped up all the juices created by her climax and his appreciative humming led her into another orgasm.

With her head lying on his thigh she fought to regain her breath. She was a little embarrassed about how easy it seemed to be for him to push her buttons and make her lose focus completely. When she had come down from her high enough to truly realize what had happened she raised her head and turned it in order to take in his expression. He looked horribly self-satisfied, she found. Slightly irritated she slapped his thigh lightly. "Hey, I wanted to make **you** come, Jane." He chuckled and she mock-growled. "Can't you just lie back and take it like a man for once?" she chided him and both had to snicker at her awful pun.

"You may do me now," he said with an air of fake generosity. "And it's not my fault you taste so good, Teresa. Couldn't help myself."

"But you're not allowed to touch me again before you've come, Jane," she ordered before she resumed her task of sucking, nipping and exploring his manhood.

He obeyed her for once and started to express his feelings verbally instead. "Oh god, yes. That's so good. I can feel this in every single nerve ending. Don't stop. Please. I love this, I love you, oh god, please don't stop. More please, oh yes," he half begged, half demanded. "This feels so good, I love you so much, please, please, please," he panted.

Lisbon didn't mind him babbling at all. On the contrary she felt empowered hearing him pleading like that. She was the one doing this to Mr. Aloof and it felt great.

It didn't take long before he shouted a desperate warning, giving her the chance to pull back. "I can't… please, I'm gonna cum."

But she wanted to taste him and only seconds later her wish was granted and he came in several short squirts that tickled the back of her throat. Yes, she decided, definitely hints of tea in there. She licked him clean and pecked the tip of his cock afterwards. The sight of him lying underneath her all sated and flushed made her smile. God, how she loved that man!

* * *

She was pulled out of her happy contemplation by her cell phone ringing. Not being sure whether they technically were still on duty or not, she decided she couldn't just ignore it. With a groan she got up and tried to recall where it might have ended up being the day before. Following the noise she found it easily enough. Earlier this morning Jane had obviously taken care of the chaos they'd created in their haste to get naked and her clothes were neatly placed on a chair, her phone on the small table right behind. She took it and felt a sting in her heart when she saw the ID of the caller.

"Hi Marcus," she greeted her, well, ex-boyfriend, she conceded in her head, unenthusiastically.

"Good morning, Teresa," Pike replied merrily. "Have you shot the idiot yet? I'm so sorry, he's spoiling our weekend like this. I would have loved to see you with all those guns at the exhibition. You're dead sexy with a gun in your hand. And you know how to handle one like a pro too," he went on.

"Well, I am a pro, Marcus. I've been a cop for over twenty years," she answered with a bit of irritation.

"Of course you are. Didn't mean it like that. Just not that many women who can really pull it off," Pike tried to save the situation.

"Seriously, Pike," she huffed. "That's got to be the most sexist thing I've ever heard from you."

"Ah come on, now, Tessi. Just because that loser is going on your last nerve doesn't mean you have to be all grumpy and prissy with me. I know it must be hard to be around that god-awful jerk. I mean, I'd probably be just as morose if I'd had to spend my time with that bastard instead of being with, well, with me," he snickered at his own joke. "But hey, it's not my fault, so be nice."

"Stop insulting him, Pike," Lisbon snarled. "And never ever call me Tessi again."

"Woah, what's gotten into you? You insult him all the time. I was only trying to show my sympathy."

Lisbon took a deep, calming breath. This was beyond awkward and she was really getting angry with Marcus and was truly horrified with herself for actually dating that man. Patrick had had the decency to retreat to the bathroom the moment he realized who the caller was to grant her some privacy. She could hear the shower running and was grateful he had reacted so maturely. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable not wearing any clothes and grabbed Jane's shirt from the day before to cover herself. It gave her a sense of security too.

"Marcus, look, Jane's my best friend. It's different when I talk about him like that. You don't know him and you have no right to insult him. He hasn't done anything to you."

"But he has hurt you and that's all I need to know about that asshole. And since when has he suddenly become your best friend? You complain about him all the time and you've said yourself that he's a manipulative liar. And I've worked one case with him. That's enough to know what sort he is. How can you be friends with someone like this? I'm your friend, Teresa. I'm looking out for you."

"I said, don't insult him, Pike! Stop it! You don't know anything about him. And incidentally, he solved that case for you. The case you'd been working for months without results, for heaven's sake. You have every reason to be grateful to him, not talk bad about him. And I won't stand for it." She was really angry now but she also knew that she was mostly angry with herself. She'd brought herself into this situation and she'd no idea how to get out of it. It was easier to shout at him than to tell him that it was over and that she was actually together with Patrick. God, she'd really screwed this up and she couldn't stop the tears from falling. This was frustrating and awkward and all so wrong.

Marcus' voice had turned to astonishment. "Are you crying, Teresa? Never pegged you for a woman prone to crying. You're so tough and all. Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry. You're just so different today and I don't understand what's changed. Yesterday morning you couldn't stop bitching and grouching about that jerk and now you're defending him and all. What's gotten into you anyway?"

"Jane and I – we talked, okay? We cleared the air. We've been through a lot. You wouldn't understand. But he's the most important person in my life. I might not have shown it during the past months but that's the truth and I won't allow you to talk about him like that. He's never said a single bad word about you," Lisbon replied, openly crying now. "And I'm sorry. I know, it's not right to do this over the phone but Jane's always told me that I'm a terrible liar and I can't pretend any longer." She swallowed heavily. "We can't see each other anymore, Marcus. I didn't mean to lead you on or anything but it was never gonna work between us. I'm sorry."

"What? You're breaking up with me? Why? We are so good together. I really like you. More than like you. Please, Teresa. You're just in a strange mood today. Don't do anything hasty. We can talk this through when you come back tonight. I'll pick you up at the airport. When will you be back?"

"No, Marcus," she replied, sounding a lot more determined. "There's really nothing to talk about. We shouldn't have been dating in the first place. It was just… well, the circumstances. Things were complicated and Fischer didn't stop pestering me with how attracted you were to me and that we'd be perfect together. That I should give it a go. But it's been a lie all along. I'm sorry, Marcus."

"What do you mean, it's been a lie? I never lied to you. I really like you. You are great. Tough, good-looking, smart and all. And we are good together. I don't understand, Teresa." Marcus sounded desperate and a bit angry. "Why are you doing this to me? What happened yesterday? Did that asshole hypnotize you into this or something? Wouldn't put it past him to destroy our happiness like this. Please, Teresa. Let's be rational and deal with this when you come back."

"Stop it, Marcus, please just stop it! He didn't manipulate me in any way. Please, Marcus. I… I know I screwed things up. I should never have gone out with you while my heart was belonging to someone else. But I wasn't ready to acknowledge it, not really. You've got to believe me. I didn't mean to lead you on but in a way I'm afraid I did."

She took a deep breath and decided to be open and direct about it. She would have to hurt him anyway and though a phone call wasn't the ideal way to do this, she couldn't spend the rest of this weekend in relationship limbo. She wanted to be with Patrick. Completely. Without another man waiting in the background. And she couldn't do this to Pike either. Here goes nothing, she thought. "Marcus, I'm in love with Jane, I've been in love with him for years. But I was afraid of my feelings and that's why I denied them. I know, I wronged you, Marcus, but you've got to believe me that it wasn't deliberate."

Silence greeted her from the other end of the line, then she heard a heavy sigh. "I should have known," Pike said coldly. "I should have seen this one coming. But I asked agent Cho and agent Fischer and they both assured me that there was nothing going on between you and that jerk. How long have you been fucking him, Teresa? How long? Tell me!"

"No!" she shouted with indignation. "Stop this, Marcus. Don't let it end like this. I know, I've hurt you but please don't do this."

"I've always treated you right. I've always been attentive and obliging. I adore you. I accept your boundaries. I give you everything that arrogant, selfish, messed-up asshole could never ever dream of giving you. What the hell is wrong with you, Teresa?" Pike accused her.

Slowly but surely annoyance was taking over her distress. "I've told you, you don't know him. And he gives me exactly what I need and want. I understand your anger and hurt and disappointment but I ask you again to stop with the insults. We can talk again when I'm back and I'll try to explain things to you in a few days when we're both calm, but right now I think it's best if we stop it here."

"Yeah, call me when you've come to your senses. But don't be too shocked if I don't take you back," Pike said, sounding extremely miffed.

"Do you even realize what you just said?" Lisbon replied, now truly angry. "Do you really think I'd ever want to be, how did you put it? To be taken back? Geez, Pike! I know, this is a terrible situation but show me and yourself some respect, will you?" A bit more subdued she added, "We've only been on a few dates, Marcus. We haven't even been in a real relationship. Don't make it sound as if I left you at the altar or something. I never made you any promises, okay?"

It took her a few seconds to realize that he'd hung up.

* * *

She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. This had gone worse than she'd expected and it affected her even if she didn't want it to. She'd gotten herself into this situation and she regretted every minute of it now. How could she have been so stupid?

She found herself suddenly enveloped in a strong, warm hug. The big, beautiful hands of her best friend, partner and now finally also lover gently pressed her face into a strong chest and started to play with her hair in a very calming way. She put her arms around him and let his presence, his beloved smell, the strong beat of his heart and his familiar voice whispering sweet nothings comfort her.

The tears stopped flowing after only a short while and she looked up at him. He smiled at her tentatively, his hands releasing their hold on her in order to cup her cheeks and wipe away the lingering wetness with his thumbs with the utmost gentleness. "I'm sorry, it went so badly," he said quietly.

She pressed her face against his chest again and Jane had a hard time understanding her muffled words. "Was my own fault," she admitted. "I created this mess. Have to deal with it now."

"I still don't like to see you sad," Patrick replied, playing with her hair again. He loved her hair. He buried his nose in it and took a deep breath. It smelled of cinnamon and a night of hot sex, he realized with a smug grin. "On a positive note," he started, deciding to lighten the mood, "at least he had the decency to call after you'd finished that wonderful blow job of yours."

She couldn't help but snort, a big smile finding its way onto her face. She looked up at him again and his happy face was the best comfort she could wish for. This was right – in every way. That there were still things to deal with and matters to solve were just minor obstacles in the greater scheme of it. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside and truly at home for the first time in years. She pulled him down into a languid kiss, savoring his taste, enjoying to feel so alive and at peace.

* * *

It was many minutes later that her growling stomach reminded them of the fact that you couldn't live of love alone. She released him reluctantly, their parting lips creating a smacking sound that made them both grin. "I'll take a quick shower and then you'll buy me that breakfast," she stated, giving his cheek one last caress before she stepped over to her overnight bag to retrieve clean clothes and her toiletries.

"I'll be waiting for you with bated breath," he declared solemnly to her amusement.

He actually looked half-way decent today, she suddenly noticed. Well, apart from a wet stain adorning his – yes, she took a double take – dark green shirt in the middle of his chest… Wow, he looked actually more than decent! His gray suit pants went particularly well with the shirt that looked even relatively wrinkle-free.

"No, Lisbon. No more appetizers for you. We'll get a decent meal before you're allowed to devour me again," he teased her, having of course noticed her positive reaction to his outfit. He took hold of her shoulders and steered her into the direction of the en-suite. "See you in a few," he said, after shoving her through the door, delighted to hear her answering giggle.

Life was good.

* * *

An hour and a half later Lisbon put the last bite of her delicious pancakes into her mouth under the watchful eyes of Jane who sipped on his second cup of tea. He'd of course ordered eggs, but had also enjoyed a blueberry muffin and an assortment of fresh fruits and berries he'd been only too happy to share with her. They'd complemented her choice of breakfast perfectly.

He sat across from her in the cozy diner, a radiant smile constantly plastered on his face. She suspected she wore a similar expression. "So, clothes shopping now?" she asked carefully.

"I do have some clothes actually, Teresa. I could do with some socks, but for the rest I'm pretty well equipped. I just didn't feel like wearing anything else for work lately," Jane explained. "I'd much rather spend the day with you doing other things, but if you'd enjoy doing some shopping, I'd not be too opposed."

"Mhm well," she pondered. "I've at least never seen that shirt before," she said, indicating the one he currently wore. "And you actually have other new things too?" She looked a bit skeptical.

He nodded. "And I can't buy that much more. I only have limited storage capacity in my Airstream after all. But I admit that I'm running a bit low on socks. Couldn't bring myself to buy any to be honest." With a somewhat abject expression he admitted, "It hurt too much."

She cast him a rueful glance and took hold of his left hand that was resting on the table top and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry, I hurt you," she said quietly.

He entwined their fingers. "It's okay, Teresa. Heaven knows I've done more than my share of hurting you over the years. I'm the one who's sorry. If not for my past actions, you wouldn't have felt the need to protect yourself so much against your own feelings."

She brought their combined hands up to her mouth and pressed her lips to the back of his hand. "Let's start this new chapter with a clean slate, Patrick. No charging up past sins against each other, okay? I want us to enter into this as equal partners."

"I'd like that," he whispered. "Thanks for being so forgiving, my love. I will try my best to be the partner you deserve. But I'm afraid you'll have to cut me some slack once in a while anyway. I can't help it, sometimes I might still act like a jerk."

Teresa looked at him with eyes full of warmth. "I'm sure we'll both make our share of mistakes, honey. I don't doubt that I'll also do stupid things at times. Like pushing you away because I might panic again about feeling too much," she admitted.

"Whatever it is we'll get through it," Patrick stated with total conviction. "We have been through so much already and came out relatively alright in the end. I have the utmost trust in our ability to make this work. But don't think for a moment that you're alone with your fears." He took another sip of tea, his expression very serious now. "I'm terrified, Teresa. I love you so much and the last time I loved so deeply and all-consuming the loss of it almost killed me. And I can't do anything but go all in when I love someone. It's frightening to risk it again. But you're worth it. We are worth it."

She couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek. "Oh Patrick! I… God, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I'm kind of glad that you are afraid too. I mean, that you told me about your fears. Of course I don't want you to be afraid, don't get me wrong. I want you to be happy, but…"

He interrupted her rambling, "It's alright. I get what you mean, sweetheart. We both have our demons to battle with. But I'm glad we'll do it together. I want you to know that you can always tell me about your fears. And if you need space, I'll give it to you. But I also promise you that I won't let you push me away. I won't give you up again now that I finally have you. And I won't run away from you either. I hope, some day you'll be able to believe that."

"I love you, Patrick," was her heartfelt reply. "And I…" She stopped herself and gathered her thoughts. Obviously coming to a decision she continued, "I'm not good at this whole relationship thing. You're much better at it. I mean, you were married and all. I'd like to ask you to help me find my feet in it if that's okay with you?"

"I'm humbled by your trust," he answered, awe visible on his face. "It will be alright, Teresa. It's not such a stretch from being partners at work to being partners the rest of the time too." He caressed her cheek and suddenly started to grin.

"What?" she asked with a bit of indignation. "What's so funny all of a sudden?"

He chuckled, bent forward, pecked her on her pouting lips and stated, "I'd say, to most people we have actually pretty much appeared to be married for years already anyway."

"Really?" she asked unbelievingly.

"Oh come on, Teresa. You bought me socks!" he teased. "How much more married can you get?"

She snickered. "You needed them."

"Yes, exactly. Typical thing for a wife to notice."

"Yeah well, but Cho noticed your lack of socks too. What does that tell you?" she replied with a devious grin.

Jane laughed heartily. "Ah, Cho and I are not even engaged yet. He didn't actually give me socks after all."

First she snorted then she chortled with laughter. "Oh my god! The image of Cho knitting socks for you! I can't…" she pressed out helplessly.

"Oh, you'd be surprised at the hidden depths our Kimball has," Jane provided with a very amused expression, delighting in seeing Teresa so carefree and happy. "He as that little workshop in his garage for instance. Where he makes all that delightful pottery as a Christmas gift for momma Cho every year. Beautifully ornamented vases mostly. And I'm still waiting for him to make a nice tea cup for me."

Lisbon giggled. "Sheep-dip, you just made that up, didn't you?"

He winked and looked all mysterious. "That's for me to know and you to ask Cho about – or not," he replied teasingly.

She slapped his arm lightly, her face almost cracked in two by her grin. "I hate you, Jane," she stated merrily.

* * *

They paid soon after and spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon window shopping with many breaks whenever the need to kiss got too urgent to ignore. They pulled each other into every available front yard to make out in the best possible privacy San Francisco's city center had to offer.

And Jane got new socks. Lisbon picked out several pairs for him in different shops and savored the obvious happiness this caused in him.

He bought her a hat, claiming she looked irresistible wearing hats and she remembered one of their early FBI cases and a bench and her grumpy reaction to the same claim from him back then. It was only when she saw his cute expression and obvious appreciation now that she truly realized that he'd been attempting to flirt with her all those months ago. She pulled him behind the hat rack and smooched the hell out of him. Even minutes later when he paid for their purchase he still looked somewhat dazed.

* * *

Another phone call had led to an invitation to have dinner with the Rigsby-Van Pelt family. To make things easier to handle with their little girl they decided to meet at their home and order pizza – for old times' sake. "It's not quite right because Cho's not gonna be there, but let's look at it as our closed case pizza for the biggest case of them all. My treat of course," Jane suggested with a bit of hesitation, not entirely sure how his proposal would be received. He needn't have worried. Van Pelt squeaked her approval into the phone and Lisbon pecked his cheek in obvious agreement.

They spent a very nice evening together. The welcome had been warm. Jane had hugged a giddy Grace to pieces and even Wayne didn't escape the mentalist in hug-mode. The most appreciative however had been Maddie. The two had fallen in love with each other a few weeks ago when they'd met for the first time during their investigation into the mysterious CBI murders and now upon their arrival the toddler had squealed "Ick, Ick!" (her personal version of Patrick) the moment she'd spotted him and had been glued to his side until she fell asleep on his lap.

"I don't understand how you do that," an indignant Rigsby had complained. "She doesn't even really call me dad yet." Jane just shrugged and grinned smugly.

A Patrick Jane in love and happy turned out to be even more entertaining than the version they were used to. He regaled them with funny stories from his South American exile and from his carnie days. He even treated them to some tales about his late family – noticeably to all only using Angela's given name and no longer calling her his wife.

* * *

It was quite late when Jane and Lisbon made it back to their hotel room. They got ready for bed, already falling into a routine as if they'd been sharing their space for years. And in many ways they had.

She let him spoon her and snuggled into him, relishing the warmth and comfort he offered. He buried his nose in her hair, the arm he'd put around her lightly stroking her breasts. It wasn't an overly sexual, more a tender gesture but it aroused her nonetheless. Every touch of his seemed to do that. He noticed her state at once and it was enough to turn him on too. She felt him hardening against her backside. "M'not up for much more tonight," she whispered apologetically in a tired voice.

"Sh. It's alright, sweetheart. Let's just cuddle a bit."

She turned around in his embrace, facing him. He pulled her close to his heart and pressed light kisses to her neck, his hands roaming over her backside. She moaned and felt herself get wet. Maybe she wasn't that tired after all, she realized with an internal snort. She wriggled her hand down between them and sneaked it inside his shorts. His penis twitched, almost jumping into her waiting hand. She squeezed gently before she set a steady pace stroking it. Jane groaned beautifully. "You don't have to do that," he offered, panting but still trying to be a gentleman.

"Shut up and put your hands to use," she demanded.

He obliged immediately. With his hand in her panties he played with her, matching the rhythm of his finger inside her with her own strokes. Their lips met in a frantic kiss, their tongues also adopting the same frequency. It didn't take long before they both shattered, their groans muffled by their joined mouths.

Utterly exhausted Jane forced himself out of bed to clean himself and her up, not wanting Teresa to have to deal with his sticky seed during the night. He pulled off his wet boxers and wiped her hand off with it before he went to the bathroom. She was on the verge of sleep when he returned. Foregoing underwear he slipped in behind her and pulled her back to his chest. She mumbled something in her sleep he decided to take as her consent with this new position. With the most precious gift firmly in his arms he let Morpheus take him into his realm with a happy smile on his lips.

* * *

Lisbon was the one who woke up first the next morning. She found herself sprawled all over Jane who was lying on his back with his nose buried almost completely in her hair, his even breathing tickling her neck. She moved her head a bit because she wanted to see his face. Her changed position – which deprived him of the smell of her hair – made him wrinkle his nose in his sleep, something she found utterly adorable. Actually sleeping Jane as a whole was adorable. She'd already known that. Almost ten years of seeing him taking naps on his couch had left her with no doubt about that. But she found him irresistibly adorable now. He looked radiant even in his sleep and knowing that she'd put that cute smile on his lips made it even better.

Gently she traced the lines of his face with her finger, finally reaching his forehead where she tried and failed several times to force one of his curls into another position. It always sneaked back into it's original location the second she released it, and she couldn't help but grin. The man – or certain parts of him – defied her even in his sleep. That she found this completely endearing told her that she was indeed hopelessly in love. She simply couldn't stop repeating the process and was so focused and concentrated on her little game that it took her a while to realize that sea-green twinkling eyes were following her every move avidly.

She flinched a bit when she finally found herself caught in the act. Jane smiled lovingly up at her. "Morning, beautiful," he greeted her with a sleepy voice that did funny things to her heart.

"Morning, Patrick," she replied.

Their heads seemed to gravitate towards each other until their mouths met. His arms came around her and pressed her closer to his chest, one hand findings its way into her hair. He really liked her hair. They shared long, deep languid kisses, just enjoying the company of the other.

They had quick, but hot and passionate sex in the shower, then went out for breakfast again after checking out of the hotel. It was Monday after all and they would have to leave for Austin in the evening. Before that they had planned to rent a car and take a trip to Sacramento.

It was a bitter-sweet moment when they reached the city that had brought them together twelve years ago but had also pulled them apart in so many ways and both remained mostly silent. Their first destination was a florist on the way to the cemetery. It had been at Lisbon's insistence that they made that stop. She told him that even if he might not believe in the gesture, she still wanted to put some nice flowers on the graves of his family. They'd loved Patrick before her and that made her feel a deep kinship with the two. Furthermore at least indirectly their deaths had had nearly as much of an impact on her life as they'd had on her partner's.

In the end Patrick had bought some flowers too. And because he couldn't do things by halves he insisted they had to go to the most well-assorted florist in Sacramento to get just the right types of flowers. With an eye-roll she'd decided to indulge him, especially so as she could see this wasn't an easy task for him and the whole flower-shop matter was probably a bit of a stalling tactic. It had been worth it though. Obviously "The Language Of Flowers" was part of Jane's memory palace and she learned more about plants in the hour they spent in that shop than she'd ever known before.

She ended up with two bouquets with the same flowers for both Angela and Charlotte. They contained bellflowers to express her gratitude at them for shaping the man she loved. And she'd picked out white clover and azaleas, which, according to Jane, meant 'I promise to take care'. She added "of him" in her mind.

It took Patrick a long time to settle on his choices. She bullied him into sharing his thoughts with her and it gave her a lot of insight into his state of mind. For his daughter he chose daisies for love and innocence and belladonna for obvious reasons. Angela's bouquet was a bigger challenge. After a lot of see-saw he finally picked Asphodel which he reluctantly told her meant 'my regrets follow you to the grave'. Also lilies of the valley signifying returning happiness. She couldn't talk him out of adding peonies for shame, but was happy when she could convince him not to take bird's-foot trefoil for revenge. Amaranth representing immortal love completed his choices.

It was an odd bouquet the florist almost refused to put together but Jane stood his ground vehemently, reminding the guy in rather sharp wording that he was the one paying for it after all.

* * *

With his mismatched flowers proudly in his arms they entered the cemetery. "Do you want some time alone there first, honey?" Lisbon asked him carefully.

He shook his head. "No. I'd rather do this together with you. Maybe I'll need a bit of time later."

One hand holding her own bouquets she used the other arm to lay around his waist while they walked up to the graves. He put the flowers carefully on the grass in front of the stones and knelt down. It took her a moment to realize that he was actually using nearly the exact same words he'd spoken on her mailbox more than two years ago – a message she'd saved and listened to many times. "It's over. It's done. I want you to know that I'm okay. I still miss you but I'm ready to move on." He cleared his throat. "You'll always stay in my heart but there's room enough for someone else in it too. I know that you would have always wanted me to be happy again, but I've had a hard time accepting that I deserve it. I know I'm not a nice man but Teresa here has made me believe again that I can be a good one. I love her, I really do. And I am eternally grateful that she loves me back. Just as I am grateful that you two gave me your love. I'll always cherish that." Nearly choking on his next words he added, "Goodbye my angel. Goodbye my little sunshine. I love you."

He remained in his kneeling position a while longer not saying anything. Teresa couldn't stop a few tears from rolling down her cheeks. She could see that Patrick was crying too. And she saw him nervously fumbling with his fingers. When he finally got up his expression almost broke her heart especially as he was attempting to smile at her through his tears. She put the flowers she was still holding down on the ground and pulled him into a hug. He held onto her for dear life.

Many minutes later he released his hold on her and her eyes casually caught a glimpse of his left hand. His wedding band was missing! She looked up at him in open-mouthed shock. "It was time," he whispered. "Beyond time."

She didn't answer verbally, just nodded and smiled at him in understanding. Then she took her two bouquets, put them down carefully on the graves and got up. "I'll go ahead to the car. Just come when you're ready, Patrick."

"Thanks," he replied quietly. "I'll only be a few minutes."

She squeezed his ringless left hand gently and left him alone.

* * *

True to his words he joined her about ten minutes later. He looked composed, though his eyes were still red from crying. They decided to eat a late lunch at Marie's for old times' sake, passing the former CBI headquarters on their way, both getting a deep sense of nostalgia.

"I'm not particularly fond of changes. I'm a man of habits," Jane admitted. "You know that already of course. Well, it brought me to you, but I think the changes now make it easier to have a new start. So some changes aren't all that bad, I guess."

She cast him a sideways glance and smiled. "For someone who doesn't like changes, you've managed to change quite a lot of things in our FBI headquarters in Austin. It's gotten a distinctly Jane-ish touch already, what with your couch nook and your Airstream in the parking lot. And Abbott has certainly drunk the kool-aid. You've got him firmly wrapped around your pinky."

Jane looked smug, very smug. "Dennis is such a teddy-bear, really. Gave us the day off today more than willingly. He actually asked if one day was enough." He chuckled. "I told him that agent Lisbon is a very eager employee and couldn't possibly stand to miss two whole days of work."

She slapped him lightly on the thigh. "You didn't really say that, did you?" She looked skeptical.

"I sure did," he answered cheerfully. "It's the truth after all." More seriously he added, "I wasn't even certain you'd be okay with the one day. Two days felt like a real stretch."

"I appreciate that you're trying to be circumspect and considerate, Jane."

"I sense a big 'but' in there somewhere…" he pondered.

She nodded. "Well yes, actually. I know that I've rebuffed you several times during the past months and that I've made it clear that I don't want you to dictate my life."

It was his turn to nod avidly.

"I stand by that and I want you to know that I have seen that you've been trying very hard to accommodate me. But, and I'm only going to say this once and I hope you understand exactly what I mean with it and don't take it as carte blanche and make me regret I ever said it -," she took a deep breath, "- but Patrick, please don't change too much. I fell in love with you the way you are and though I really want you to consider my point of view and involve me in decisions that pertain me in any way, I don't want you to walk on eggshells around me."

He looked thoughtful. "I just don't want to screw this up and lose you," he admitted quietly.

"You won't. Finally acknowledging our feelings for one another was a big step, Patrick. For me it means a great risk because I'm afraid of losing you if this doesn't work out. And that's the last thing I want. You're too important to me." She squeezed his thigh gently. "We just need to talk about these things from now on. I guess, we've both done a pretty botched-up job in that respect.

He put his own hand on top of hers. "You're right. We do have some communication issues. But I think part of it was because we were both scared of losing the other. I know that I tend to be controlling and that I'm manipulative and because I'm pretty good at figuring out what you want most of the time anyway," he couldn't quite stop himself from grinning smugly, "well, I just act on it without asking." A bit more subdued he added, "I'll try to stop doing that, Teresa. Even if I might know what you'll decide even before you know it, doesn't mean I shouldn't let you come to your own conclusions."

"Right now I'm not sure whether to hug or hit you for this both outrageous and sweet statement," she grumbled.

"Well, if you want I can tell you exactly what you'll go for," he announced merrily. "Ow!" he exclaimed a second later when the back of her hand had connected with his chest in a not too gently way. "See? Could've told you that."

She couldn't help but snicker at his shit-eating grin and was glad they'd just arrived in the parking lot outside of their favorite café because she felt a sudden urge to kiss him. Which she did a moment later.

* * *

They shared a delicious lunch and an amiable conversation with the owner who recognized them at once. An hour and a half later they were on the road again on their way back to the airport in San Francisco and from there to Austin. When they crossed the Sacramento city border Jane said, "I'm glad we did this, Teresa. I feel a lot better leaving than I felt coming. And I for one needed that closure."

"Yes, it was good to come back here with you. Thanks for letting me share this with you, Patrick."

"I want to share the rest of my life with you, my love. And it wouldn't have felt right if you hadn't been with me. I needed you to be here with me. It's where our story began after all," he replied.

She cast him a warm look. "The rest of your life, Mr. Jane?"

He nodded. "Yes, the rest of my life if you'll have me, Teresa Lisbon. And I sincerely hope this is going to turn out to be the longest epilogue in history."

* * *

**The End**


End file.
